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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29932923">Writer's Block</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuwaFuwaMedb/pseuds/FuwaFuwaMedb'>FuwaFuwaMedb</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night &amp; Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:33:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,702</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29932923</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuwaFuwaMedb/pseuds/FuwaFuwaMedb</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Mage's Association would like an initial writeup from the infamous Rin Tohsaka. Unfortunately, writing about her specialization is coming along horribly. She needs something for the writer's block.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cú Chulainn | Lancer/Tohsaka Rin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Writer's Block</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>The essence of gem magecraft…</em>
</p>
<p>The woman behind the computer stared at the beginning of that sentence, her fingers pausing above the keys. Blue eyes eyed the simple five words, teeth biting at her lip before she moved to hit the backspace button.</p>
<p>
  <em>Magecraft is the essence of a human being, broken down into that special something. For the process of gem-related magecraft, this involves a level of understanding in how to use and adapt to a medium…</em>
</p>
<p>That sounds too intimate.</p>
<p>It sounds like a child’s example of describing a lover in some cheesy way.</p>
<p>She needs to rethink this.</p>
<p>Rin shuts the laptop- carefully, since the hinges were just fixed a week ago. She moves the thing into its foam protection case, then into her bag. She was being tech savvy these days, capable of more than just making a quick phone call and scanning her fingerprint on her phone.</p>
<p>Technologically savvy or not, that wasn’t going to be helping her when it came to writing about gem magecraft for the Mage’s Association. Her documents needed to be typed up and sent via mail to the Mage’s Association. She needed evidence of promise, something that said that she had fulfilled the shoes that her family had left behind.</p>
<p>Kirei was gone.</p>
<p>Her family was gone.</p>
<p>The grail war, which had been in her plans from the very start, had turned out entirely different from original plans.</p>
<p>“Check please,” Rin called to the waitress nearby. “And can I get a slice of the cake to go.”</p>
<p>The café waitress nodded, writing in the cost of the cake and setting her check on the table for payment. It would naturally be one of those days that she finds that she doesn’t have cash on hand. Her hands go to her computer bag, fumbling with a pocket for a moment before she finds the card she’s looking for.</p>
<p>Extra padding and protection.</p>
<p>The card is whisked off and Rin looks around again.</p>
<p>The cat lounging nearest to her table is stretching slowly, letting the afternoon light bathe it in radiance. A few more customers are lingering nearby, chattering away about something or other as more of the cats in the café were playing or running around a couple kids.</p>
<p>Her eyes go to the two girls petting a kitten in one of the oversized plush chairs.</p>
<p>They were a lot like her and Sakura at that age.</p>
<p>Did Sakura like cats still?</p>
<p>She hadn’t spoken to the girl in a long while. She’d been busy with archery and everything else. Technically, they weren’t even family anymore. She really didn’t have the right to be asking questions, but still.</p>
<p>What was it about being close to someone and then having them ripped from your company that made the heart yearn for what had been?</p>
<p>The house still felt like Sakura would slip out of one of the bedrooms sometimes, chattering away about finding some more gems for using when they’re old enough to do magecraft. Sometimes she could almost imagine going down the stairs to find Sakura looking at the ribbons she’d been making with their mother.</p>
<p>“I sound old,” Rin grumbled, shaking her head and turning her attention towards carefully getting ready to leave.</p>
<p>She slipped her gloves on first. Then, trying not to pay too much mind to the cat now rolling over at the sight of her scarf being moved, Rin moved to wrap her scarf around her neck. She just had it in place when the waitress came back with her card.</p>
<p>The card was carefully- pointedly- placed back in its protected spot. Rin zipped the bag shut and fixed it over one shoulder. From there, it was just a matter of carrying the cake in its container as she stepped back out into the spring afternoon.</p>
<p>Calling such a time the afternoon was almost a joke though.</p>
<p>Once again, her Golden Week time was wasted. She had a whole dissertation on gem magecraft to write, one that would need to surpass her family’s written documents while keeping their secrets safe and sound from others. She had another night of mulling over words to do, which would be done with her most likely not making dinner. Then, to top things off, she had Sakura on the mind now.</p>
<p>Overall, her chances of writing this whole thing successfully were slim to none in the next few hours.</p>
<p>That didn’t even take into account the receiver of this cake either.</p>
<p>No, she’d left the house for a reason that morning, bidding the company she had farewell for the day and hoping that she could get this done. The house companion was paying the bills, keeping her modern edge up to date with information about technology and about finance.</p>
<p>Having someone around the large estate that was the Tohsaka manor was just good sense in general. Such a large space was alright for a single person, but the burden of tasks and responsibilities would pile up. There were the outdoor gardens to think about, the weathering during all four seasons, appliances and fixtures that would break down after so long; owning a home added up after a time. Tohsaka inheritance didn’t come with a guide on house owning either.</p>
<p>That meant that having someone that could not only navigate but thrive with the requirements of such a place while not minding bills here and there was a must.</p>
<p>Hence- she had a housemate.</p>
<p>“I’m home,” Rin calls, stepping into the house.</p>
<p>Her eyes went to the room, taking in the vacuumed carpets ahead and the large television screen paused in the living area.</p>
<p>“Cu Chulainn,” Rin called again, placing her shoes in the cupboard and pulling off her scarf and hat.</p>
<p>Strange.</p>
<p>Where the hell was he? He had a high alcohol tolerance. In terms of using the restroom, he would normally at least yell back to her, letting her know where he was. The silence in response to her calling was just bizarre.</p>
<p>She didn’t care for it. Her bag and the cake went to the coffee table as Rin stepped deeper into the house to investigate.</p>
<p>“Cu! Where are you?”</p>
<p>The kitchen was empty. As was the main floor bathroom, since it didn’t hurt to check. The laundry area was empty, no signs of life in the dining area nor in the guest bedroom.</p>
<p>Rin glanced upstairs.</p>
<p>Why would he leave the television on if he was going to head upstairs?</p>
<p>“Cu!”</p>
<p>It was dark now. That meant that-</p>
<p>“You get the most interesting face when you’re worried,” a familiar voice purred, arms wrapping around her waist. Rin leaned her head back, glaring up at the blue haired pestilence.</p>
<p>“I called for you.”</p>
<p>“I caught onto that. It’s a bit hard to hear you when I’m taking care of the water softener in the basement.”</p>
<p>He had her there.</p>
<p>Rin sighed, shaking her head and trying to pull back.</p>
<p>“How’s the paper you went off to write?”</p>
<p>“Unfinished.”</p>
<p>The man pulled her closer, refusing to let her escape.</p>
<p>“Cu-“</p>
<p>“How far did you get in writing?”</p>
<p>This wasn’t helping.</p>
<p>Then again, what was helping? She’d moved into the gardens yesterday. She’d locked herself in her room the day before. There was nothing that she could do to focus on this damn paper. Even before that, she’d tried listening to music and she’d tried different parts of the house.</p>
<p>“I have two sentences, but they’re absolute garbage,” Rin finds herself telling him, shaking her head again. “There’s absolutely nothing I can do about it either.”</p>
<p>“Why do you need to write this again?”</p>
<p>“It’s for the Mage’s Association. I will be needing to complete more studies, find a mentor in the Association to teach me. I will look into becoming someone of great notoriety within the names of Mages of all kinds. My paper is just the beginning.”</p>
<p>The man behind her is finally loosening his grip, but the skeptical look he gives helps in absolutely no way, shape, or form. Cu heads for the kitchen.</p>
<p>“What?!”</p>
<p>“Nothing.”</p>
<p>“No, you made a face!” She wasn’t going to let him go with just making faces at her. “Come back here. What were you thinking just now?”</p>
<p>“Nothing, Rin.”</p>
<p>“I’m going to become the ultimate mage, Cu Chulainn! It’s a new goal-“</p>
<p>The man held out a beer can as she entered the kitchen, stopping her short. Her hands accepted the drink before her brain could process what she was grabbing.</p>
<p>“I can’t drink, Cu. I’m under age.”</p>
<p>“You’re a lot of things, incapable of drinking is not one of those things.”</p>
<p>“I’m not drinking tonight.”</p>
<p>“Are you writing more?”</p>
<p>“No. I told you, I’m not managing to write much.”</p>
<p>The man popped open his can, taking a swig and nodding at her words. “You want me to read?”</p>
<p>“Are you an expert in gem related magecraft?”</p>
<p>The man hummed, rubbing at the light stubble on his face. Those red eyes glanced off just right of her, narrowing as the man made a show of thinking.</p>
<p>“Cu-“</p>
<p>“I know what I’ve seen you do.”</p>
<p>That wasn’t much of anything at all. They both knew that. Her eyes fell to the can again before she popped the thing open and drink a little herself.</p>
<p>As one could expect, the drink was absolute rubbish, but he liked it. Or rather- he seemed to like it. There were no complaints from him as they both took a minute to drink a little.</p>
<p>“Come on,” Cu nudged her towards the living room again, murmuring gently. “I’ve got one of those proper etiquette people dramas playin’ on the tv. One of the characters reminded me of you. We can watch and you can get your mind of that paper for a bit.”</p>
<p>“I need to work, Cu.”</p>
<p>But that wasn’t working, he was slowly directing her towards the couch, his eyes falling to the box with cake in it.</p>
<p>“It’s carrot cake.”</p>
<p>“I’ll grab two forks,” he replied.</p>
<p>They were bickering about whether she should watch mindless television with him to her being curled up under a blanket, her hair undone and ribbons sitting on the table. The cake was halfway gone by the time they were through the first of these episodes. Her fork was more for lifting more cake up to his lips.  His own was for her to eat off of. The beer cans were collecting on the table, the six pack almost gone now as her head spun softly.</p>
<p>A little more time came and went.</p>
<p>His fingers were moving through her hair, the cake long gone and her eyes closing as her attention drifted off into places unknown. Her eyes went to look up at the man holding her against his chest. The warmth of his chest and the blanket were doing wonders to send her into a drowsy state.</p>
<p>It was his ministrations with those hands that had her purring though. Each movement was with just enough pressure to work at any semblance of a headache. The circular motions were predictable and practiced, seeming to know just where to go. A minute of that attention had her looking up at him. Two had her eyes closing.</p>
<p>“I have to have a goal, Cu. I don’t see a point in spending each day doing the same things as the day before.”</p>
<p>“Don’t dwell on it, lass.”</p>
<p>“It’s all I can think about. Before the war, I had the grail war to build up to. I was storing energy into gems and practicing magecraft. Now I just make gems with energy for you. I just pour more and more power into the gem I used for your heart.”</p>
<p>“You did great work.”</p>
<p>“Almost.” There was still the matter that anyone could come and rip the gem out of him. She’d given him a human body, but the body was flawed with requiring mana.</p>
<p>The only upside to that was that he intrinsically didn’t need too much energy in order to thrive. He could manage with that gem heart of his like anyone else in this world, but he would have to come back to her whenever his energy levels got low. He needed to remain in her bed at night, taking some of her energy. During the day, he had to wear a gem somehow, like how he had been wearing one of his gems in his hair when she’d come home.</p>
<p>Now the blue hair was loose though. Her eyes opened, falling upon the cascade of azure.</p>
<p>The man holding her leaned in, that ever-amused smile of his growing at her staring.</p>
<p>“Seeing something you like?”</p>
<p>“I’m thinking.”</p>
<p>“You’ve been doing a lot of that lately, but there’s nothing wrong with stopping for a bit.” The man paused his ministrations, to her bemusement. Instead of massaging at her scalp, he moved to grab his beer can that remained, draining the contents and closing his eyes.</p>
<p>It was  probably not a good idea to get too close to him.</p>
<p>Ancient heroes were fine for a war, but the man wasn’t used to all the ins and outs of this world and way of life. He adapted well, but he was still someone of old. He had his own cultural practices, his own goals and aspirations even if he didn’t share them.</p>
<p>“You give me the most interesting expressions sometimes, Rinny,” the man purred. Once again, she could see those deep blue lashes parting, showing her those hypnotizing eyes of his. For what had to be the thousandth time since she’d managed to summon him, she found him invading her space further, his other hand moving from her shoulder to her forehead. He combed her bangs back with his fingers, his lips pressing to her nose.</p>
<p>“I shouldn’t take advantage of you,” Rin reminded him.</p>
<p>“Afraid you’ll get addicted?”</p>
<p>His lips were trailing along her cheek, his hand tilting her head to the side so he could kiss a path to her neck. That strange fluttering was back in her chest. Warmth was radiating up into her face as she tried to focus.</p>
<p>“Do you want me to stop so you can work on your oh so important paper, Rin?”</p>
<p>A sigh escaped.</p>
<p>Rin pulled the blanket up a little more, turning and keeping her eyes closed tight as she pressed against him.</p>
<p>“I’m going to do mana transfers with you.”</p>
<p>“I don’t need it.”</p>
<p>“I do.”</p>
<p>He was making her feel all these things, teasing around it for long enough. She was the one in charge here. She was the one in control, who made sure he was around to even bother to be able to help her keep the place in ship shape.</p>
<p>A laugh escaped him. His lips found their way back to her own, sending her back against he cushions.</p>
<p>Her tights were still on the floors hours later. Her hair was damp from the shower and her bathrobe was carefully wrapped around her as she heard Cu talking on the phone with one of the contractors he worked with in Fuyuki.</p>
<p>Her eyes fell to the laptop on the table.</p>
<p>Strange though… she was always incredibly careful about her computer. It should have been in her bag still.</p>
<p>Moving around it, her finger wiggles on the touchpad, bringing up the screen.</p>
<p>
  <em>Magecraft, particularly in gem the variety, is a complex and ancient practice that dates back even further than the ancients. The practice of giving essence, especially in the sense of mana, to something like a medium, requires a level of talent and skill that is often impossible for mages. This is not necessarily because they lack the capability. It is more so that they lack the ability to take the time to understand the way that the world can break down into a single moment or a single decision.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It’s this ability to appreciate life in the smallest of ways that creates gem-specialized mages. </em>
</p>
<p>“Rin? I have tomorrow off due to a flooding in town,” Cu called.</p>
<p>“I need your help around here anyway,” Rin called back, saving the document and closing her computer carefully.</p>
<p>She really owed him one.</p>
<p> </p>
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